As has been the case previously, the start of the year was marked by indigenous Mapuche-related unrest in response to the anniversaries of two key events. One was the 3 January 2008 killing of a Mapuche activist, Matías Catrileo, by a militarised police officer (Carabinero), who was later absolved by the military justice system. The second was an arson attack which took place on 4 January 2013 and left an elderly married couple dead. This year has been no different. A resurgence of Mapuche-related unrest – stemming from historic claims to ancestral lands in the southern Araucanía, Los Ríos and Bío Bío regions – has subjected the unpopular Nueva Mayoría coalition government led by President Michelle Bachelet to fresh criticism regarding its failure to address the long-running issue.End of preview - This article contains approximately 982 words.
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